Musings from some guy who know stuff...and thinks he knows other stuff, and has opinions on just about everything, and is more than happy to tell you what he thinks and why...when he has time and the inclination to sit down and write in this thing.

Saturday, August 08, 2009

Distopia >> Utopia

Of course it makes sense that a dystopian future is better for books and movies than a utopian one, afterall, books and movies need to be interesting.

But a dystopia is better for us in real life than a utopia would be. If reality were ever to achieve a state of perfection then there would be nothing left for us to strive for or against. There would be no need for creativity or development or wonder. Nothing left to achieve or learn. Perfection would invite death from wasting away.

No, give me dystopia. A future society of 10 billion that cannot be sustained and leads to (human) catastrophe. A global event (disease, comet, hunger) that would leave survivors in a position to prove themselves. To rise above, to keep their minds and hearts against the savage vagaries of the life laid bare before them.

Odds are I will not live to see that, and that even were I to be able to I would not be one to survive that which would bring it about. But make no mistake, it is coming. It could be hundreds or even thousands of years off, but the future is not our present, and no matter what greatness lies in wait, it must come as a result of or lead to turmoil.